All That We Were
by tervaco
Summary: One decision can change the world. People we knew, places we remember, memories we cherished, they can all disappear in an instant. Juniper enters a changed world just as an ancient evil awakens. What changes have occurred? Will she stand alone? Read on!
1. Prologue

This is my first and, hopefully, only retcon. In 2005 I began writing a series of Juniper Lee fics and while they were all well received, I found that they just don't measure up to the standard I hold for myself. Crossroads had the potential of being my opus, but I screwed it up by being lazy and clichéd. This then, is where I fix that. This story will finally fix the things I feel needed to be changed. There will be some of you that like this, there will be some of you that don't, but it needed to be addressed. As of this writing, Crossroads and Te Xuan Christmas are no longer canon. This is the official sequel to "Love, Life & Regret."

All That We Were

Prologue

The future, Orchid Bay…

It was supposed to be bright and shining. That's what kids were told as they grew up, but if they had known what it truly held? Juniper Kim Lee stood outside the shelter, looking out over the ruins that were once Orchid Bay. She brushed a strand of grey hair out her eyes, feeling a frigid gust blow through her raggedy clothing.

How had things gone so wrong? She kept asking it over and over, but she never found a suitable answer. Juniper was thirty-two years old and had seen more combat than she could have ever predicted... even for the Te Xuan Ze. Looking out over what was once her world, she once more hung her head in shame. She had failed. Failed to protect humanity, failed to protect the magical realm, failed to save the man she loved.

Daniel Fenton… Danny Phantom. The thought made her quiver. He had been so happy and full of life once, but that was long ago. The Halfa, part-human and part-ghost, had lost everything and decided the rest of the world would share his pain. One by one, Danny wiped out his enemies, toppled governments, and sought his revenge on those he blamed.

Juniper still remembered those horrible words. "They're dead because I wasn't there to save them! Because I was here! With you!" Danny blamed her for everything. It was why he took such pleasure in hunting down her friends and family.

Ashley the Witch, Lila the Bigfoot, Monroe the Pug, Christopher Fields… each murdered in cold blood by a boy driven over the edge. Danny erased Orchid Bay from the map. Blinded by grief and falling victim to his growing insanity, he hunted down her parents and brothers. No one escaped his rampage… and yet somehow, Juniper survived. She hated herself for that.

Over the years, she could only watch as Danny's vengeance grew to envelope the world. No one could stand against him and eventually, humanity dwindled. There were pockets of survivors here and there, but they were officially an endangered species.

Juniper felt the years in her tired bones as she sat down. Years of running, fighting, hiding… they had finally taken their toll. She slid the satchel from her weary shoulders, setting it on the ground before her. Within was her last chance for redemption, for hope. Slowly retrieving a silver gauntlet and four gems from the bag, Juniper carefully slid the weapon over her right arm and inserted each gem. It had taken ten years to do so, but she had finally completed the Reality Gauntlet.

In all that time, she had come to one conclusion. She could alter reality and prevent that horrible future from ever coming to be. Juniper looked down at the gauntlet and felt a tear run down her cheek. She had risked everything on finding it and now she began to doubt herself. Saving the future… it had seemed like such an easy decision when she set out on her journey. Juniper sobbed uncontrollably as she mustered the strength to complete her final mission.

The gauntlet shone brightly, opening a portal before her. Juniper took one final look at her world, then took a deep breath and stepped through.

The past, Amity Park…

Freakshow had failed and had been placed in the back of an Amity Park Police squad car. Danny Phantom had broken free of his power and destroyed his scepter, liberating the other ghosts under the clown's control. The crowds began to disperse as the police department prepared to clear the scene.

It all happened so fast. Officer Duggery walked slowly towards his car to transport Freakshow to the station for processing. He never could have anticipated the blinding white flash and deafening boom as his squad car exploded.

His ears rang, his eyes burned, but he managed to climb to his feet. Duggery had been lucky. Any closer to his car and the blast would have claimed two victims. The investigation would later state that Freakshow had died while attempting to escape from police custody.

Orchid Bay, one week later…

A party was gathering in the backyard of a small family, celebrating the sixteenth birthday of its youngest daughter. This is where the end began. A brief meeting that blossomed into a romance that would eventually destroy the planet. The elder Juniper looked on as Jody Irwin welcomed her guests and felt her blood run cold when a certain bespectacled teen appeared. Seeing him again brought a tear to the woman's eye as she remembered his future death.

Sixteen again, Christopher Fields happily embraced Jody, kissing her and wishing her a happy birthday. He knew nothing of what his immediate future held, let alone the path his life would take. All the teen knew was that he was in love with the little blonde.

Then HE appeared. Danny Fenton stepped into the backyard dressed in his usual white shirt and blue jeans. He seemed so innocent back then, so naïve. If she had known what he would become, the terrible things he would do… no, she would still have loved him. Juniper could not deny that simple fact. Freakshow had been easy. There was no hesitation with him, but in this moment, Juniper now found herself unsure.

If she followed through the future would be forever altered. It would cease to exist and there would be a chance for that bright and shining world. Juniper watched as Danny made his way through the crowd, approaching her younger self. She had to be certain that their relationship would never happen, it was the only way. Several simple gestures would fix everything.

The younger Juniper was enjoying the party when her bracelet suddenly alerted her to a threat to the balance. Some unfortunate soul had made the mistake of releasing a group of speed demons upon the financial district. Groaning, she ran to inform Chris. They then boarded their bikes and together, rode into the city.

Danny would never know what they could have had and he wouldn't have time to dwell on it either. His father suddenly grabbed him by the arm pulling him into the Fenton Family Van, explaining that their vacation was being cut short due to a catastrophe in Amity Park. An unexplainable anomaly had appeared within the Ghost Zone Portal that required immediate investigation.

The elder Juniper watched as her younger self rode into battle and Danny departed for home. The decision made her sick to her stomach and she immediately regretted it, but there had been no other way. Her tears stung as she struggled to find the strength to carry out the final acts.

The cliffs looking out over the Pacific Ocean were always one of her favorite places. The elder Juniper felt a tiny smile cross her lips as she watched the sun begin to dip into the sea. She had finally completed her mission. She had reshaped the past and hopefully saved the world.

Juniper had travelled to the past to save the future. It sounded so clichéd, but the mission had been a success. Now she just had one more thing to do… erase the anomaly her decision had created.

She looked down at the Reality Gauntlet one last time. By destroying the gauntlet, and ultimately herself, she would set the world on a path that could not be undone.

Juniper gripped her fists tight, activating the gauntlet for the final time. The gems lit up one by one as the power flowed through her. She closed her eyes, slipping into non-existence, hoping with all her heart that she had done the right thing…

The beginning!

Well folks, this is my return. It's been what? Five years since I've published anything? In all that time there have been many changes to my personal life, the biggest being that I became a police officer. I now have an almost endless supply of personal experience to draw upon as I continue the saga I began all those years ago.

The world has been forever changed. Danny and Juniper never met and Freakshow never had a chance to ignite a war, but there's more that has yet to be revealed! What did the elder Juniper do? Is it for better or for worse? Be here next month to find out!


	2. Chapter 1: Change

Okay folks, here it is, the first chapter in the new storyline. The world that was is no longer. This is the world as it should have been, no war, no Christmas special. And remember, not everything is as you remember it!

At the end, please remember to leave me a review so I know what you all think.

All That We Were

Chapter 1: Change

Juniper Kim Lee slowly opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Another beautiful day in Orchid Bay, she thought sitting up. The sun was shining down through a cloudless sky as a light breeze wafted through her window bringing the smells of summer. Life was good.

Downstairs, twelve year old Ray-Ray Lee was busy mashing controller buttons, working on thirty-six hours without sleep in an attempt to conquer the newest Boomfist video game. He was wearing the same Boomfist t-shirt and blue jeans from two days before. The black bags under his eyes and jittery smile revealed his caffeine levels were nearly astronomical.

Beside him sat Lila. Just Lila. The Bigfoot was always amazed at the boy's energy levels. She was 5'10" with long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail, bright green eyes and had three bear claws dangling from a leather cord around her neck. She wore her usual tight, orange tank top and olive drab, cargo pants.

Lila had recently returned from a month long sabbatical to see her people. They were exactly as she remembered them… stupid, to be completely honest. She was one-of-a-kind among her race, but they were still her people. Even so, it was nice to spend time with Juniper, Ray-Ray and Chris, beings she could hold an intelligent conversation with.

The brunette looked to the stairs as Juniper made her way down. The 5'06" Asian teen stepped out into the living room wearing her favorite lime green t-shirt and blue jeans. The shirt had a pink dragonfly emblem in the center that matched the pink strand in her raven hair and a leather bracelet dangled from her left wrist, four amethyst jewels glistening from its sockets.

"Are you seriously still playing that game?" Juniper asked, astonished that her brother could sit still for that long a time.

Ray-Ray grunted his response, his eyes glued to the screen, his mouth hanging open.

Lila stifled a laugh as she followed Juniper into the kitchen. She took a seat at the circular table as Juniper handed her a bowl and spoon, then retrieved a box of cereal and a gallon of milk.

"What's the plan for today?" Lila asked, pouring milk over her cereal.

Juniper poured herself a bowl and reached for the milk, "Nothing. I don't want to jinx it, but we might actually get a day off."

The Bigfoot smiled at that. For once they would actually get to enjoy a summer day. They could go to the beach or the mall, or maybe even go down to the pier for a while. The prospect of some time off was an alien concept to them, but they deserved it. Especially after that last bit of unpleasantness.

Lila had been away when Juniper faced the Seven Deadly Sins. It was something she struggled to come to terms with, but Juniper had never said a word about it. She knew that Lila had a responsibility to her people, just as she had her own. It was what made them so close.

"Do you think Chris'll join us?" the Bigfoot asked, trying to hide how hopeful she was.

Juniper smiled a little. Her adopted brother had spent nearly every waking moment of his summer vacation dealing with his own issues. When he wasn't trying to understand his newfound magical abilities and failing quite spectacularly at it, he was off on his own, coming to terms with his recent breakup. Still, she knew why Lila had asked.

"I'm sure he'll come, if you ask him," the Asian teen answered.

Lila just stared into her cereal bowl, "Why would he come if I asked?"

"Just trust me," Juniper replied, finishing her breakfast.

The Bigfoot blushed as she finished her cereal.

"Awesome! Okay, we'll see you there," Juniper happily said hanging up, "Roger's in!"

In the guest room, Lila looked at her reflection as she finished adjusting her bikini. Why she had agreed to the beach she would never know, but it was too late now, Ophelia Ramirez and Roger Radcliffe had already signed on for it. Taking one last look, she mustered up a smile and pulled up her cut off jeans shorts.

The Bigfoot stepped out the front door to find Juniper, Ophelia, and, amazingly, Ray-Ray. His eyes were red and he swayed back and forth, suffering from the intoxicating effects of too much TV, video games and sugar.

"Hey Lila, looking good…" he muttered happily.

Lila laughed a little at that. If Ray-Ray thought she looked good, what would Chris think?

"Uh oh, she's blushing!" Ophelia yelled, "I bet I know why!"

The Bigfoot quickly looked away, trying to hide her face. She was already uncomfortable wearing something so revealing, but she could definitely do without the teasing.

"Sorry Lila," the punk girl apologized, "I just couldn't pass up such an easy opportunity. I'm sure you'll blow him away."

She blushed even more at that, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ophelia just smiled, draping her arm over Lila's shoulders as they made their way next door to a familiar teen's house.

"You wanna knock or should I?" Ophelia teased again.

Lila quickly ran up the steps and rang the doorbell. Her heart began beating faster and faster, her breathing came quicker and she felt light headed. Ten seconds went by without a response. Cautiously, she rang the doorbell a second time, only to meet with the same result.

"Sorry hon, I don't think he's home," Ophelia said, trying to sound comforting.

The brunette felt her heart slow down and her breathing returned to normal. While she was saddened that he wasn't home, at the same time, she felt relieved. They had been friends for years, but lately he had begun to mean so much more to her.

As the group made their way along the boardwalk leading to the beach, Juniper's cell phone rang. Ophelia stifled a snarky chuckle when she heard the Seether ringtone.

Seeing that it was Roger, Juniper answered, "Hello?"

"Look to your left!" a familiar voice instructed.

Just as she turned, a wave runner speedboat appeared with two teenage boys waving. One was wearing a blue beanie and black-rimmed glasses while the other wore a green and black t-shirt.

"Your dad 's letting you borrow that for the day?" Juniper asked excitedly.

"You better believe it! Hurry up so we can get out on the water!" Roger yelled over the roar of the engine.

The Asian teen laughed as she hung up and told everyone the news. They quickly ran to the pier, but as they approached the twenty-five foot boat, Lila stopped cold and the butterflies reappeared in her stomach.

Sitting at the helm was Roger Radcliffe, who quickly switched his beanie to a white captain's hat. He was wearing a dark blue swimsuit and his green button down shirt hung open as he helped Ray-Ray into the craft. Securing the boat's mainline to the dock's cleat was the person Lila had most wanted to see.

Christopher Jonathon Fields was dressed in his favorite green and black shirt and a pair of black swim trunks. Standing at 6'00", he was just as she remembered him, except his deep green eyes were no longer hidden behind a pair of glasses. At his neck, a yin-yang pendant hung from a thin black cord.

"Hey you," he greeted her warmly with his usual lopsided grin.

Lila quickly pulled him into a hug that he readily returned, placing a small kiss on her cheek. Her heart raced as they stood in one another's embrace. Slowly they stepped back to look each other over. Behind them, Juniper and Ophelia boarded the craft and took their seats, watching the scene unfold.

"You look great," Chris told her, helping the girl step from the dock down into the boat.

She smiled, trying to hide her glowing red cheeks, "You too. Finally switched to contacts, huh?"

"Well, you can only break so many pairs of glasses before you get fed up, right?" he replied happily.

"Mr. Fields?" Roger exclaimed.

The brunette boy looked over and jokingly replied, "Yes, Captain?"

"Are we ready to cast off?" the bespectacled teen asked.

"Aye aye, cap'n!" Chris answered with a smile.

With that, the group embarked on their journey. Lila and Chris sat towards the stern, their attention completely on one another. Ophelia laid at the bow, sunning herself in a grey and purple two-piece bikini, taking great pleasure in seeing Roger ogle her. She would let him get comfortable with the view and then the yelling would start. It was a vicious cycle, but Ophelia took such pleasure in toying with him.

Juniper was busy prepping the wakeboard the Radcliffe's kept onboard. Beside her, Ray-Ray had finally passed out and was snoring very loudly. She looked over her shoulder as Chris and Lila reacquainted themselves, catching up on everything that had happened since she had left. It was nice to see them both so happy.

"Hey, June! Whenever you're ready, we're far enough from shore for you to get out on the cord," Roger informed her.

"Sweet, I'm ready whenever you are," the Asian teen replied, moving past the two at the rear. "Sorry to interrupt."

"No worries, sis," Chris said, excusing himself to help her prep the tow cord.

Lila moved forward to the bow to lay next to Ophelia, being sure to leave her shorts on. The entire time she was talking to Chris, she couldn't hide how nervous she was, but he either didn't notice or was trying to play it off. She watched Chris lower the collapsible dive platform into the water, then quickly looked away when he turned towards her.

"He is kinda good looking," Ophelia said, laying on her back, eyes closed, arms resting beneath her head. "You shouldn't wait too long to tell him."

Lila slowly looked back to him, "I think I already missed my chance."

The punk girl chuckled, "If that was true, then why is he flirting with you so much? Or was that a "just friends" conversation?"

The Bigfoot's face turned bright red and she could feel her cheeks burning. She didn't even know anymore. When had things become so difficult? They had been "just friends" for so long, so why did she suddenly feel this way about him?

"It's now or never, girl," Ophelia teased, "Jody dumped him a couple weeks back, it was tragic. Maybe this is destiny banging on your door?"

Lila just stared at him, letting Ophelia's words sink in.

"We ready back there or what?" Roger asked impatiently.

Juniper gave the thumbs up as she drifted away from the boat, her feet secured to the wakeboard and gripping the tow handle tightly.

Roger looked back to the controls, then over at Ray-Ray and smiled devilishly. The twelve year old was seated quite precariously on his bucket seat near the bait bucket. As Roger started the engine, the adolescent didn't budge. Suddenly, the motor roared to life and jumped forward launching Ray-Ray, who was still snoring, into the air and down into the bucket. The teens laughed hysterically as the adolescent ran around trying to free himself.

Behind the boat, Juniper tore through wave after wave, trying to reacquaint herself with the board. Soon she was flipping through the air and spinning around, performing feats most people didn't have the nerve to even consider.

The Asian teen found that the entire time she was on the board, the only thought in her mind was how much fun she was having. The worries about the next demon to be set free, next would-be world conqueror to appear, or the next creature to be loosed by the Leprechauns were the furthest thing from her mind. She was actually enjoying herself.

Back on the speeding craft, Ray-Ray had finally freed himself from the bucket. He was furious, but he laughed, already planning his revenge against the teens. They should have known better than to test him.

After twenty minutes, Roger brought the boat to a stop and they retrieved Juniper. Now Chris set up to take a turn on the wakeboard. He laughed the entire time, a nervous, unsure laugh that betrayed the fact that he had no clue as to what he was doing. Still, he was trying to show off for Lila… not that he would admit to it.

Slowly, Chris pushed away from the stern of the boat and prepared himself. He had only tried wakeboarding once before and the results had been quite catastrophic. This time, he told himself, this time would be different.

Roger gunned the engine and the cord pulled taut. As Chris lifted out of the water and began skimming along the surface, he suddenly lost his balance and then lost his grip on the tow bar. He quickly found himself skipping on the surface of the water, spinning head over heel until he finally came to a stop and just floated there, face up, wondering what had happened.

The craft pulled up alongside with everyone laughing.

"You okay?" Juniper asked, trying to hold her laughter back.

Chris stared up into the sky and chuckled, "I did it again, huh?"

His sister gave in, letting out a deep laugh, "Ha ha ha, yeah, ha ha ha! I'm sorry, but you just don't have the coordination for this…"

The boy slowly climbed back into the craft and made his way to the stern, where he pulled off his shirt. There were two scars running across his chest, one short and one long, forming an X over his heart as well as two others on his back. He folded the shirt and placed it under his head and then draped a black baseball hat over his face.

While Chris relaxed at the rear of the boat, Roger and Ray-Ray fished off the starboard side. They didn't expect to catch anything, but for some reason, the prospect of fishing on the ocean just seemed appealing. In all honesty, they didn't care, just so long as they were having fun. Juniper, Lila and Ophelia sat at the bow of the craft gossiping. More often than not, Ophelia teased the others about their apparent inability to talk to boys.

"Come on, June, we all know how you felt about Marcus," Ophelia continued, "Whatever happened with that?"

Juniper bit her lower lip, thinking back to the day he had abandoned her, "It just wasn't a good fit."

"Please, you were totally gaga over him," the punk girl stated.

"Like I said, it just wasn't a good fit. Things kept coming up and then all that stuff went down with Jody and he… he wasn't the guy I thought he was," the Asian teen explained.

"You're so interested in our dating lives," Lila suddenly said, "What about yours?"

That caught Ophelia off guard, "I uh… well, that is I…" She couldn't find the right words.

Juniper and Lila laughed. They were all in the same boat.

Behind them, Roger tossed his fishing pole down and announced, "Well… I'm bored. Who's up for a little swim?"

The girls quickly agreed. Ray-Ray was happy doing anything, while Chris was fast asleep on the collapsible dive platform. Roger pulled out several charts of the surrounding waters and unrolled them in front of the girls.

"Okay ladies, we've got a decision to make," he said pointing to several sections of the map, "If you want to swim with the wildlife," he shivered as he said that, "we can choose between these areas. If you want to just swim in the blue and relax, then we should go here. There's a sandbar with water about three feet deep. And the best part? No one ever really goes there." Roger pointed to an area that seemed isolated and away from islands or any main thoroughfares.

The girls looked at one another then back at the charts. They decided on a peaceful swim without any "wildlife" as Roger had put it. The bespectacled teen then set a course for a mooring ball in the area with the sandbar and they set off.

It had been a good ride to the sandbar. Once more, Ophelia laid out on the bow of the ship with Juniper at her side. They continued on with their conversation about their respective relationships. Ray-Ray sat with Roger learning about how to control the boat. He was a quick learner and soon was controlling the craft like a pro. In the rear, Chris had fallen asleep again. Lila sat beside him, her hand awkwardly resting on top of his. He felt hot. He always felt hot, she remembered.

Due to his magical abilities, the teen never experienced cold. Chris was a firecaster, born with the ability to absorb and control fire and the last of his kind. Unfortunately, he had little to no control over his power. It had first manifested during a battle with the embodiment of Greed and because of how much stress and anger Chris felt, he was able to continue using the power. Once the Sins were sealed away and their leader Kale was defeated, the stress disappeared. He was happy too, for a time, but that meant the driving force behind his abilities was gone.

Looking back to her brother, Juniper watched happily as Lila quickly pulled her hand away from his. They were cute together and they both seemed to make the other happy. Much happier than either had been for a long time.

It wasn't long before Roger slowed the engine and they pulled up alongside the mooring ball. The ocean was bright blue and they were able to see straight down to the bottom. Chris quickly used the line hook to attach them to the mooring. With that, they extended the collapsible dive platform and the girls prepared to dive in. Ophelia, already in her bikini and with no shame to speak of, leapt in with a cannonball, splashing the others as she laughed menacingly.

Juniper slipped out of her shorts and shirt, then leapt into the bright clear water followed shortly after by Roger and Ray-Ray. Behind them, Chris jumped off the side of the boat splashing them all as he laughed. Slowly Lila climbed onto the dive platform and looked out at her friends. Juniper and Ophelia waved her on encouragingly while Ray-Ray and Roger were busy dunking one another. Chris was looking around at the scenery, but suddenly his eyes locked on her and a warm smile crossed his face.

The Bigfoot fought her nervousness as she undid her jeans shorts and slid them down her slender legs. Chris' eyes went wide and he blushed when she bent down. The others could only laugh at him as Lila leapt over their heads, splashing down into the clear water.

"Dude, she's a babe," Roger said, nudging Chris in the side, "and she's totally into you."

The teen smiled and looked away. He wondered if it was supposed to be that easy. Was finding that special someone supposed to just happen? Lila quickly came up behind him, grabbing him by the shoulders, and dunked his head under.

"Oh yeah?" he exclaimed spinning to face her, his thoughts quickly changing to those of revenge.

The Bigfoot let out a yelp as she ran to hide behind Juniper and Ophelia. The group played there for a while, splashing, dunking, and chicken fighting before settling down to relax. The girls floated on their backs, their arms interlocked, keeping a watchful eye on the boat. Meanwhile, Chris and Roger swam back and forth, racing one another, just to prove who was the fastest. Roger seemed to be the better swimmer. Ray-Ray was content to float on an inflatable ring tied to the stern of the boat.

Soon, Lila watched Chris climb out of the water and lay down on the boat. She had decided to tell him. To really tell him. The other girls wouldn't be able to tease her anymore, at least not about this. The Bigfoot silently swam to the boat and poked him in the side.

"Hey you," he said without opening his eyes.

The way he said it melted her heart. Why did he always have to make things so difficult? As Lila pulled herself out of the water, Chris leaned over to hand her a towel. She graciously accepted it, then laid down right next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel his skin twitch as she did so.

"Chris…" Lila said, letting his name slide over her lips.

He smiled, "Yes, Lila?"

She chuckled. He was doing his best to make this as difficult as he could.

"You're my best friend, you know that?" she asked.

Chris propped himself up on his elbows and turned towards her, "Oh yeah?"

Lila rolled onto her side, looking up into his green eyes, "Yeah."

He just smiled, slowly reaching for her hand. Contact. Her skin was so soft and sent his thoughts racing with her touch.

"You're teasing me aren't you?" she asked him, leaning closer.

"I wouldn't dare," he responded leaning in.

They were nose to nose as they spoke. Her scent made his heart run wild and it was almost too much. Their eyes locked as they struggled to find the words. Everything that had happened that afternoon had been leading up to that point and now… now, there they were face-to-face and nose-to-nose. Chris slowly closed his eyes and cocked his head slightly, leaning in over that last little distance. Lila could feel the tingle of his lips as they were about to press against hers.

Suddenly, the engine roared to life and the duo rolled off the back of the boat and back into the water as Ray-Ray sped away.

"RAY-RAY!" Roger yelled, watching his father's boat speed off into the distance.

The twelve year old laughed maniacally as he quickly turned the boat, circling the five teens. He took his revenge for being dumped in that bucket earlier, staying just out of their reach.

When Juniper got close enough, she attempted to grab the main line that had been attached to the mooring ball. Noticing his sister's actions, Ray-Ray quickly pulled the wheel away and once more disappeared into the distance.

Roger stood there, dumbfounded as to how he could have been so foolish as to teach Ray-Ray to control the craft. Worse, now the five of them were stranded, or so he thought.

The boat soon floated back into sight and pulled up alongside the group. At the helm, Ray-Ray sat, wide-eyed and shivering, mumbling something incoherently. One by one, the teens boarded the boat, but as Ophelia reached to throttle the younger Lee, Juniper stopped her. A dark mist had slowly developed around the sandbar, concealing the horizon.

"Roger, I think its time to leave," Lila announced, watching as the mist soon enveloped the sky overhead.

"Just go slow dude, we can use the SatNav to get outta here," Chris explained taking the seat beside the bespectacled teen, activating each of the navigational aids.

Juniper sat behind them with her brother, "Ray-Ray? Ray-Ray! Answer me! What happened?"

She kept shaking him, but he remained in a catatonic state, mumbling something over and over again. As she leaned in to try to hear him, Chris suddenly yelled out,

"Ow! Damn it! Ah!"

The SatNav, GPS, and even the bottom tracker shorted out one by one, sparking and snapping at the teen. Roger could only stare in disbelief as he realized they were sailing blind. He quickly looked to the compass only to find it spinning out of control, faster and faster, never stopping to give him a reading.

"That's not possible…" he said slumping down in his seat.

"Uh, Roger, if its happening, then its entirely possible, you idiot!" Ophelia yelled, no longer trying to hide the fear in her voice.

"Its okay," Lila told her trying to sound reassuring, "Roger knows how everything on the boat works and he can read the charts, I'm sure he can get us out of here."

"Oh great, my life depends on that moron, what else can possibly go wrong?" Ophelia screamed angrily.

Suddenly, they lurched forward as the boat hit some object. Juniper and Lila quickly ran forward to look over the side, only to find that they had run aground. It was unbelievable! They were over ten miles from the nearest island, how could they have possibly run aground in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?

"Alright, its okay, we're grounded, but that means we should be able to find where we are, right?" Chris asked hopefully.

Roger was shaking as he fumbled with the charts, "I… I don't know. I mean… all of our Nav systems are out, our compass is busted and… and this island…"

"Isn't supposed to be here," Juniper finished for him.

"What about calling for help?" Lila asked.

Roger quickly reached for the radio and attempted to call out, "Uh… hello, mayday mayday, this is the Radcliffe's Pride, we've run aground at…"

A loud screech cut off the transmission followed by an echoing voice warning, "Stay where you are! Do not get off the boat! I repeat, do not get off the boat! Oh dear God! Nooooooo!"

The terrified scream made their blood run cold. Where had the voice come from? They hadn't seen or heard anyone in the area prior to the mist setting in. More importantly, what had happened to the originator of the transmission? It was then that Juniper's bracelet chose to activate, but it couldn't tell her what the disturbance was.

Chris looked to his sister for a decision. She didn't like it, but they had no choice anymore. Juniper quickly reached into her dry bag and retrieved a pouch of fairy powder, blowing a puff into Roger and Ophelia's faces. With both of them asleep, the others could move easier and hopefully get to the bottom of their predicament.

Juniper retrieved her pants and flip-flops along with a coat from her dry bag, while Lila slipped back into her shorts. Chris handed her a spare shirt from his own dry bag before changing into a pair of khaki shorts and a dark blue "Miskatonic University" hoodie. He also retrieved a small black sling bag and his flip-flops before leaping out onto the island.

"Wherever we are, at least its solid," he stated, taking several more steps.

Juniper wrapped Ray-Ray in a blanket, told him to stay put, then grabbed a flashlight, and leaped out to join Chris. Lila was already twenty feet ahead of them trying to get a bearing on their location. It wasn't long before they had disappeared into the mist and lost sight of the boat.

Suddenly, a shriek rang out through the mist. It was a terrible, otherworldly, inhuman sounding cry that took immediate hold on the trio, sending shivers up and down their spines. Hesitantly, they moved forward into the darkness, determined to secure their escape.

To be continued…

Next time: Our heroes have landed on an uncharted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. What awaits them as they search for a means to escape? Who sent the warning? Will any of them make it home alive? Be here in 30 days for the next thrilling chapter of All That We Were!

Wow! That took a while, but it felt great to get out! This chapter has been re-written about six times. It started out with a heist that went bad, then it was a huge battle between June and an unknown villain, then it was a high school dance, then it was something else… but I finally decided on this one and it felt right.

As for the rest of the storyline? That's what you can expect from this fic. Lots of substance, and if I do it properly, characterization. Action is an ever-present feature in any of my fics, but in this one, I wanted to get a better feel for who the characters are and in this particular fic, the main characters are June and Lila.

So then, reviews please? I want to know, I need to know what you all think. Love it, hate it, what have you, just tell me!


	3. Chapter 2: Reconcile

The Life & Times of Juniper Lee

All That We Were

Chapter 2: Reconcile

Two weeks had passed since the incident on the island. What little they could remember only left them with far more disturbing questions. Juniper, Chris, and Lila had been found drifting near the "Radlciffe's Pride," each wounded and severely dehydrated. Ray-Ray awoke from his catatonic state soon after being reunited with his parents, but was a shadow of his former self, reserved and easily startled. Roger and Ophelia had been mindwiped, erasing everything past the mist setting in from their memories.

The official Coast Guard report was that the boat had suffered an equipment failure and the teens had somehow become disoriented. Their injuries were listed as having been caused by long time submersion and heat exhaustion. What the report didn't mention was the location of the island or the strange items that had somehow found their way onto the boat. A mysterious statuette, an ancient dagger, and a handwritten journal had been hidden on the boat by an unknown person.

In the time that had passed, nothing had come of the incident and things in Orchid Bay had remained relatively calm. Juniper and her team had to contend with the occasional Thogorian Slime Moose or a pack of caffeine addicted Speed Demons, but for the most part, it was life as usual in the coastal city.

Juniper spent most of her time enjoying the summer days with Ophelia and Roger. Things were still tense between her and Jody Irwin after the latter's breakup with Chris. The girls had wanted to remain friends, but it was awkward, especially after the manner in which Jody chose to leave the boy. Meanwhile, Chris was splitting his time between studying the strange journal and reacquainting himself with Lila. The pair spent most of their free time together and when they were apart they were constantly texting. Ray-Ray, on the other hand, had cut himself off from the world. Not even Ashley the Fourth Level Witch could bring the boy out of his funk.

Lila slowly awoke, her dream already fading, but she was able to hold onto the image of a large doorway amidst a plain of ethereal darkness. She had stood before it, studying the archaic drawings adorned over its surface, depicting all manner of horrific rituals and creatures, but suddenly the dream was gone and she was left with nothing more than the memory of the strange door.

The Bigfoot quickly retrieved the journal she kept in her nightstand, the pages of which were filled with names that were impossible to pronounce, nightmarish locations, and various symbols. Drawing out the doorway and the few symbols and creatures she could pluck from the dream, she could only wonder at what had happened to them. Why couldn't she remember anything from the island? Would her memories ever return?

She thought about the statuette once more. It had been wrapped inside of a towel and hidden within a small compartment, depicting a strange looking creature with long tentacles dangling from its face, folded wings, and a dragon like body. Standing at approximately 8 inches tall, it appeared to be several hundred years old and made from a type of marble. There was no explanation as to how it came to be on the boat either. All Lila could say was that it scared her. Everything about it screamed at her senses, telling her to fear whatever it was. It even smelled bad, but the others didn't seem to be able to sense that particular trait.

The mystery only seemed to deepen with the other items recovered from the boat. The dagger appeared to be as old as the statue, but the journal had been started in the 1920's ending in the 30's. The items were obviously connected, but in what way? Chris closely guarded the journal, refusing to let it out of his sight until he had completed reading it. For what reason, only he knew, but Juniper had agreed to allow him to complete the analysis. In the meantime, there was a beautiful summer day to enjoy and the brunette wasn't about to let it go by the wayside.

Lila studied herself in the bathroom mirror. As she readied herself for the day, she thought back on the one memory from that day on the boat that had never faded. Chris had been about to kiss her. She was sure of it. Since then, things between them had felt strained, like that one interrupted moment had scared him away. She kept thinking about the tingle she felt when they had skin-to-skin contact. That meant something, she decided, it had too!

Slipping on her olive drab cargo pants and orange tank top, Lila grabbed her cell phone and quickly sent a message to the boy she was crushing on.

Juniper kept staring at the statuette and dagger as Monroe droned on and on and on about all the books, tomes, scrolls and grimoires he had read in an attempt to find out more about the items. The little pug was beginning to annoy her with all of his complaints.

"Look, if you can't find anything out, then you can't find anything out," Juniper told him, "Maybe I just need to call William."

At the mention of his father, Monroe became infuriated, "That bag of hot air? Are you insane?! All he'll do is lift his leg on the statue and use the dagger to scratch his back!"

The Asian teen laughed at her talking dog's Scottish brogue as he ranted about his father's tactless approach to combating evil magic.

Monroe walked over to yet another stack of books, skimming the titles as he responded, "If that brother of yours would just let me read the journal he found, I might be able to tell you more, but he won't part with it for even a second."

It was true. Ever since he realized what the journal was, Chris hadn't let the book out of his sight. It apparently belonged to some pulp writer from the 1920's. Juniper racked her brain trying to remember the name… Lovecraft or something like that.

"Okay, so what about Ray-Ray? Tell me you've found something that can help him," Juniper asked.

The little pug rolled onto his back in exasperation, "Other than the fact that he's become quite reserved, your brother is the same candy munching, video game playing, annoying little troglodyte he's always been. Give him some time; he'll be right back to his usual hyperactive, sociopathic self."

Juniper just stared up at the ceiling, "I hope so."

The pair spent another ten minutes in silence, Monroe scanning another one of his books, Juniper staring up at the ceiling in boredom until she suddenly sat up.

"I'm going to the mall to see the guys," the Asian teen stated abruptly, "Call me if you find out anything."

And with that, she took off down the street leaving the little pug to his thoughts and his dusty books.

Chris read the page again, setting the journal down softly. The yellowed pages crinkled at his touch as he delicately scanned the text. If this was what it appeared to be, the teen had recovered one of the most treasured items in any horror fan's collection, an actual journal of Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

Lovecraft was considered the father of modern horror and his creations appear in and influence more writers, movies, video games, musicians, and artists than people realize. He died in 1937 after writing some of the most powerful and terrifying fiction ever put to the page, but his journals and letters were extremely rare finds.

As the teen continued reading, he jotted down page numbers, names, and tiny sketches of things that stood out. Chris would soon find that he had more in common with his favorite writer than he had ever believed possible.

"_20th August 1925 – the dreams continue._

_I have spoken with Robert several times about my continuing dreams of a lost city beneath the waves somewhere in the vast Pacific. He feels that I should focus on the issues at hand here within our own country, but I must profess, these dreams become more and more horrifying with each episode. _

"_Two Gun Bob," as he's known among his circle of less literate friends, has been leading me around his home state of Texas. He wants to discover the source of the local legends, but I feel he is looking for more than just a harrowing adventure. Ever since that bit of unpleasantness in Massachusetts, Robert has sought to test his mettle again."_

Chris finished the sentence and looked up, confusion dotting his face. Lovecraft had always stated that his most infamous tales were based on dreams, but this journal was making it sound more like Lovecraft and his closest friend, Robert E. Howard, were guardians of the balance like Juniper and Chris.

The teen crossed the office to his bookcase, selecting several of his Howard books and began scanning the notes sections. The truth was somewhere between the lines.

He continued reading until his phone vibrated with a new text. Scanning who it was from, the boy quickly closed the journal and slid it into his wall safe before running out the front door to meet Lila.

"Look, I don't know why you're so upset," Ophelia said, "You're the one that left him."

Across from the purple haired punk sat Jody Irwin. The blonde's hair was tied up in pig tails and her crystalline, blue eyes sparkled in the sun. She was dressed in a frayed pair of jeans and a light blue sun shirt with pink seams and logos. The girls sat with Roger in the open air section of the West Line Mall.

"He's already moved on! That's why I'm upset!" Jody yelled, trying to hide the pain in her voice.

She and Chris had been together for several months, but when she decided she couldn't take anymore, she broke up with the firecaster. Aside from Juniper and Ashley, no one understood exactly why their relationship had failed, but that didn't change how much she was hurting inside.

"It's been, like, two months Jody," Roger stated, slurping his slushie. "What did you expect him to do? Cry and be miserable and never date anyone ever again?"

The blonde girl bowed her head, tightly gripping her knees as she fought back the tears. She had only ever wanted Chris to be happy, but at what cost? She cared very deeply for him, but he was always breaking dates to run off into another fight. And then there was the fear that one day, he might not come back.

"Jeez Jody, I knew you were cold, but that's just mean," Ophelia joked, not realizing how much harm she was doing.

Jody stood up and stormed off, tears pouring from her eyes. Rounding a corner away from her friends, she quickly exited the mall and began running down the street, oblivious to the world around her.

Fine! If Chris didn't need her, then she didn't need him, she thought to herself. Their relationship obviously meant nothing to him if she was so easily replaced. She hated him! She hated everything about him and his stupid face!

No… no, that… that wasn't true. She wanted to hate him, to be angry, but Jody just couldn't bring herself to do so. Chris never meant to hurt her. It was just that his responsibilities would always come between them.

She had patched the boy up more than once, spent sleepless nights waiting by the phone to hear his voice, and even tried to become active in his mission, but it was too much for her. She was only fifteen and had already seen more violence than anyone her age should ever have to. For Juniper and Chris it was a way of life, but she had a choice and she had made it.

Maybe it was better this way. He was with someone that could keep up with and take care of him and Jody could just be a normal girl.

'Yeah, because after everything I've seen, that's really what I want…' Jody thought, not realizing someone was in front of her as she ran full force into them.

"Ophelia, don't you think that was a little harsh?" Roger asked, worriedly.

The punk girl looked at him quizzically, "Really Rog? So I busted her chops a little, its not like I meant any of it."

Roger slid down in his seat, continuing to sip from his slushie. In the back of his mind, he still didn't feel right. His parents were furious about his being returned by the Coast Guard, but he felt like there was something else, something missing from his memories. Then again, Ophelia was acting totally normal, so maybe it was just him being his typical weird self.

Jody stared at her feet, apologizing over and over again as Juniper dusted herself off.

"You can stop apologizing Jody," Juniper told her, "I'm fine. Invulnerability, remember?"

The blonde girl finally looked up, her eyes still wet from the tears. She and Juniper hadn't spoken much since the break up. How would she face this?

The pair entered the Coffee Bean at the entrance to the mall, ordered their drinks and took a seat near the main door.

"You okay?" the raven haired teen asked the blonde.

Jody closed her eyes and forced a smile, "Yeah."

The once best friends just stared at one another. It felt like forever before they finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," Jody said. "I should have told you about… well, everything."

Juniper thought about it, "Yes, you should have, but I understand where you're coming from."

That stung, but Jody felt like she deserved it. "How is he?" she asked.

"He's pretty good, all things considered," the Asian teen answered. "How are you doing?"

The blonde thought about her answer, wanting to explain everything, but knowing that wasn't the time. "I've been better, but I'm hanging in there."

Juniper laughed, "I know the feeling."

"Did you have a bad case?" the blonde asked.

"No, it's just been difficult lately. We had a...," Juniper paused, "I don't even know what to call it. We were out on Roger's boat and we hit an uncharted island about thirty miles off the coast and it just went downhill from there."

Jody couldn't believe all that she had missed, "So what happened?"

The Asian teen smiled as she realized how good it felt to be able to talk to Jody that way again, "I don't know. None of us do."

"A memory spell?" Jody quickly replied, "Because I was looking at those and they're reversible and I…"

"What do you mean you were looking at them?" Juniper asked, a tinge of anger in her voice. That good feeling quickly faded.

Jody recoiled, realizing what she had just let slip. "It's not what you think, I swear."

"Well little miss smarty-pants, tell me, what do I think?" the raven haired girl demanded.

The blonde looked down into her drink, holding it with both hands and as she sipped the liquid up through the straw. "After everything with you and me and Chris and everything I… well, I thought about erasing my memories from the last few months. I was just hurting so much and I guess I… I was weak and I'm sorry."

Juniper was stunned. That wasn't the answer she was expecting. She couldn't even begin to understand why she had such malicious thoughts about her best friend. The girl was obviously torn over her decision and needed someone to open up to.

"Why don't we start at the beginning," the Asian teen said warmly, "It's not going to be fun, but if we're ever going to get over this I need to know… why did you dump my brother?"

Jody finished her drink and looked Juniper in the eye, "If we're really gonna do this, I need another one of these beauties."

The girls laughed. It was the first step towards repairing their friendship.

It was another beautiful Saturday in Orchid Bay and two old friends were once more enjoying some time alone with one another. Lila sat in the park, lying back on a large white blanket beside Chris. She watched as the wind blew through his brown hair and carried his scent to her.

He was the same boy she remembered, but he carried a sadness within him. At first, Lila thought that it was because of his failed relationship with Jody, but that had just been the tip of the iceberg. Chris had finally revealed what had happened between Lust and himself, coming to terms with his greatest failure. And then, of course, there was the fact that he had almost no control over his firecasting.

"Is this really what you want to talk about?" he asked, trying desperately to change the subject.

Lila just smiled, "I was away for five months, I really missed out on a lot."

Chris stared at the clouds, trying to decide where to start. Things with Jody had been tense from the beginning, right up to the point that he revealed the magical world to the girl. Eventually, she became a welcome member of the team, but after the Seven Deadly Sins there had been one particularly violent case that had left the firecaster in bandages and out of action for a couple of weeks.

"Jody had never seen me that messed up before, but that night it was her, June, and Ah-Mah playing doctor and stitching me up," the boy explained, "I've never seen her so upset. And watching her wash my blood off her hands… I guess I understand why it was too much for her."

Lila was at a loss for words, "I honestly don't know what to say. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Chris replied, "I should have been smarter about the whole thing. She's not like us and I had no right bringing her into our world."

The Bigfoot sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them, "Did you love her?"

The boy smirked as he looked down, "We weren't together long enough for me to say for sure, but I think I was starting to."

She truly had no response to that. Lila had known for a long time how Jody felt about Chris. She had even put her own feelings aside to allow the blonde to make her move, but now she regretted doing so.

"Do you know why I stayed away so long?" she finally asked.

Chris looked at her quizzically.

Lila took a deep breath, exhaled, then took another. "Everyone knew how Jody felt about you. Everyone. But no one knew how I felt."

The boy was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"When she told me that she was trying to work up the nerve to ask you out I felt like my heart had been torn out," she continued. "How was I supposed to compete with a normal girl, someone that had known you for most of your life? Someone that pretty, who knows how to do all the things a normal girlfriend is supposed to know?"

"But I," Chris started to say.

"And so I walked away. To let her have her happiness, ignoring the way I felt about you and wishing you both the best," Lila interrupted. "I've done some questionable things in my life, but I only have one regret."

The boy swallowed hard, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, his thoughts swirling, "And what…what's your regret?"

The girl looked into his eyes, leaning in as she did so, "Saying no to you that night."

She was his best friend. They had been through so much and had always supported one another. As they grew up, Chris began to develop feelings for Lila and prior to the end of the last school year, he had even asked her out. The Bigfoot panicked, knowing how Jody felt about him and, confused by her own feelings, she bluntly turned him down. Now she had a second chance. All she had to do was act on it.

Chris saw the sparkle in her emerald eyes as he too leaned in.

The teens drew closer and closer, the tingle reappearing between them until their lips slowly met.

Their first kiss was soft and it was sweet and it was short.

They couldn't take their eyes off of one another as they interlocked their fingers and pulled each other into another passion filled kiss…

Ray-Ray Lee stood at the large window of his room, looking out over the neighborhood. The light burned his eyes and made him feel sick. The island… it had been his prison once, but he had escaped only to be caught in yet another prison. The boy closed the drapes and climbed into his bed. Hiding under the covers with his trusty flashlight, he opened a large leather bound book and began reading.

To be continued…

What's this? Ray-Ray reading?! NOOOOOOOOOO! It's too horrible! What could it possibly mean? And what's this budding romance between a certain Bigfoot and Firecaster? How long can that possibly last? The mystery surrounding the mysterious items deepens while a familiar face returns to Orchid Bay in search of some help with a domestic issue. Also, be prepared for more teen angst and drama, because it just wouldn't be the same if I left that stuff out…

Duh duh duhn! Wow, so yeah, this took a whole hell of a lot longer than it should have. I posted the last chapter back in June, for crying out loud! I'm sorry, but I just couldn't post what I had originally written, it was too awful for words. I did manage to fix it though and now we can move the story forward. I also brought in my favorite writers to have some fun with them, so you can expect more history and a few surprise guests in the coming chapters.


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